DAYTONA BEACH  Mitchell Zanette made his final arrangements at Guerro & Ruggiero Funeral Home, climbed into a motor home and then headed south to cross off the top item on his bucket list.

After a 16-month-long battle with cancer, Zanette, 50, of Pen Argyl, Pa., died about 2 a.m. Thursday inside a motor home parked in the infield of Daytona International Speedway. The dying wish of the devoted Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan to see the world-famous track was fulfilled.

He didn't die in no damn hospital bed, said his brother Joe Zanette, 47. Not even cancer would hold him down ... I guarantee he's up there tormenting Dale right now.

Even though he didn't make it to see the Daytona 500, the lifelong NASCAR enthusiast hung out on the beach, cracked open a few cold Budweisers outside his motor home, had his picture taken with a blonde bombshell Sprint Cup girl and got to see history made when Danica Patrick became the first woman to earn the pole for the Daytona 500, friends and family said.